Kavala Speaks on Purpose of Prolonged Detention
Turkish philanthropist and human rights defender Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned for over eight years, has stated that his detention is intended to intimidate civil society and critical voices within Turkey. In written responses to questions published by the T24 news website on Monday, Kavala, 68, conveyed his belief that his punishment serves as a deliberate warning.
'I think my punishment is meant to send the message that civil society organizations no longer have the freedom they once had, that taking a critical stance creates danger,' Kavala wrote from Marmara Prison. He also suggested that his imprisonment was necessary for the government to lend credibility to a conspiracy theory, adopted after the 2016 coup attempt, that the 2013 Gezi Park protests were a foreign-orchestrated plot to overthrow the government.
Background of Arrest and Evolving Charges
Kavala was first arrested on October 18, 2017, in Istanbul. He was initially accused of attempting to overthrow the government and the constitutional order in connection with the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the 2016 coup attempt. The Gezi Park protests began as an environmental demonstration and evolved into widespread anti-government unrest across Turkey.
Despite being acquitted of the Gezi charges in February 2020, Kavala was immediately re-arrested on new charges, including espionage and allegations related to the 2016 coup attempt. On April 25, 2022, an Istanbul court sentenced him to aggravated life imprisonment without parole for 'attempting to overthrow the government.' This verdict was upheld by Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals in September 2023.
International Condemnation and Non-Compliance
Kavala's detention has drawn significant international criticism. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in December 2019 that his detention was arbitrary, lacked reasonable suspicion, and was politically motivated to silence him as a human rights defender, ordering his immediate release. However, Turkish authorities have repeatedly refused to comply with this binding judgment.
In July 2022, the ECtHR's Grand Chamber issued a second landmark ruling, finding that Turkey had failed to fulfill its legal obligation to implement the 2019 judgment. Consequently, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers launched an infringement procedure against Turkey in 2022. A Grand Chamber hearing on Kavala's case is scheduled for March 25, 2026, to examine Turkey's continued non-compliance.
Implications for Turkish Civil Society
Kavala's case is widely seen as emblematic of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights in Turkey. His statement underscores concerns about the erosion of judicial independence and the normalization of arbitrary detentions within the country's legal system. Kavala, who founded Anadolu Kültür, an organization dedicated to promoting peace and cultural initiatives, has spent 'almost all of the time I could have been actively engaged in civil society' behind bars since his arrest at age 60.
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